Many drug delivery devices of the prior art, such as auto-injectors or syringes, have been developed for self-administration of a drug. Such drug delivery devices comprise a pre-mounted needle to ease the self-administration of the drug. In order to keep the needle sterile, the needle and the distal end of the syringe connected to the needle are covered with a needle cap made of a flexible material such as rubber.
To protect the needle of the drug delivery device from damage or to protect people from needle-stick injuries prior to use of the device, the needle cap can be encased by a protective needle shield made of a material that is more rigid than the material of the needle cap, as for example a rubber needle cap.
In order to prepare the drug delivery device for delivering a dose the needle cap and if necessary the protective needle shield have to be removed from the needle. This may be done by gripping the needle cap or the encasing protective needle shield and pulling it/them away from the needle. This will usually result in a removal of the needle cap as well.